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The Starry Mountain Singers will host a concert at the United Church of Newport on Sunday, April 3, at 4 p.m. The suggested donation is $10 to $15.

The Starry Mountain Singers is an ensemble of seven vocalists who perform a wide range of traditional music from around the United States and the wider world. Formed in 2010, the group’s members are all lifelong musicians who share a deep love of traditional vocal styles and a dedication to studying and performing these types of polyphony.

Their performances are known to be dynamic, uplifting and powerful. The musical program features traditional songs from the United States and Europe — specifically Corsica and Caucasus Georgia. The American repertoire includes shape-note songs (a traditional New England song style), powerful gospel numbers, cowboy songs, and haunting folk tunes from the Appalachians. The Georgian and Corsican songs are a mixture of sacred and secular pieces that demonstrate the incredible range of unique singing traditions from those countries. Each member has contributed songs from their particular area of musical knowledge and expertise, resulting in a dynamic and eclectic program that will delight world-music fans and lovers of choral performance. Their recent, self-titled studio album will be available at the show.

The Starry Mountain Singers have all toured extensively with the Vermont-based world-music ensembles Northern Harmony and Village Harmony, where they received an introduction to traditional songs and singing styles from around the world. In addition, all members of the ensemble have worked extensively with Northern Harmony, as well as Meredith Monk, Revels, Inc., and have performed on “A Prairie Home Companion” and “Mountain Stage,” and include three members of the Brooklyn-based country band, The Sweetback Sisters. – from the Starry Mountain Singers.

Husband and wife duo Dana and Susan Robinson of Cabot will play a concert at the Kingdom Coffeehouse at the NorthWoods Stewardship Center in East Charleston on Friday, March 25, at 7 p.m. Admission is $10.

The Robinsons are celebrating their twentieth year of national and international touring. With guitar, fiddle, banjo, and mandolin, their sound is a melting pot of Appalachian, British, and rural American influences, full of exciting fiddle tunes, earthy grooves, elegant melodies, and rich harmony singing.

For more on the Robinsons, visit robinsongs.com.

For more on NorthWoods, visit northwoodscenter.org. – from NorthWoods.

The Lake Region music department presents an antidote to the midwinter blues on Friday, March 4, when LR Rocks presents its annual singer showcase at Parker Pie in West Glover starting at 7:30 p.m.

The vocalists of the Power Rangers and Funk Out will perform a stylistically diverse show of solos, duets, and ensemble selections. Highlights include “Peace Train,” “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu,” Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” “Four Chords,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” the Adele mash-up “Rumor Has It/Someone Like You,” “For Good” from the musical Wicked, and much more.

This concert is a fund-raiser for the “Trills and Thrills” band festival in June. Suggested admission is a $5 donation per person. Ticket sales and reservations are in advance only, and begin one week prior to the show. Seating is limited!

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The choral group Northsong performed its annual winter concert at the Barton United Church on Friday. On Sunday they performed at the Newport United Church. Photo by Nathalie Gagnon-Joseph

copyright the Chronicle December 9, 2015

by Nathalie Gagnon-Joseph

BARTON — The singers of Northsong received a standing ovation for their performance at the Barton United Church on Friday.

Led by Anne Hamilton, and accompanied by Vivian Spates on the piano, the choir performed music with origins as far back as the sixteenth century, with more modern pieces as well.

Before launching into the Kyrie movement of the Messe di Gloria, by Giacomo Puccini, Ms. Hamilton gave a bit of back story about the liturgical music written by Mr. Puccini, who is best known for his operas.

The Mass was performed when he wrote it in the nineteenth century, but he didn’t want to be associated with liturgical music, so it wasn’t published until the 1950s, long after his death in 1924.

The operatic quality of the composition is obvious, Ms. Hamilton explained to spectators before turning towards her singers… To read the rest of this article, and all the Chronicle‘s stories, subscribe:

Alan Greenleaf (right) and the Doctor, Jonathan Kaplan (left), will play at the Music Box in Craftsbury on July 18. Photo courtesy of the Music Box

A bit of farm life and life in the Northeast Kingdom in song will be heard at the Music Box in Craftsbury on Saturday, July 18 at 8 p.m., with Alan Greenleaf and the Doctor.

Mr. Greenleaf lives on the farm he has worked for a good part of his life in northern Vermont. His songs are inspired by his life on his farm and the people and countryside around him. They are a report of events, people, feelings, and observations of his life experiences, with a great deal of poetic license. Living in Vermont, the weather and seasons play a significant part in his stories. Musically, he draws on many American traditions, including country, Appalachian, blues and jazz. His newest CD, Songs from Lost Mountain, is now available.

Mr. Greenleaf is joined by “the Doctor,” piano player Jonathan Kaplan. The two have been playing together for over a dozen years. Mr. Kaplan is a classically trained pianist who fell in love with the blues and old-time traditional music. Together they bring a wide variety of original ballads, rhythm and blues with moving melodies. Listen to some of their tunes at alangreenleaf.com.

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Bernie and Linda Lussier of the Craftsbury Vibrations in front of their music library. They will perform in Hyde Park on April 12 at 1:30 p.m. for the last time — probably. Photo by Nathalie Gagnon-Joseph

copyright the Chronicle April 8, 2015

by Nathalie Gagnon-Joseph

CRAFTSBURY — Bernie Lussier and his wife, Linda, have been playing and singing together as members of the Craftsbury Vibrations for over 40 years, but after their gig on Sunday, April 12, at 1:30 p.m. in Hyde Park, they will call a halt to their professional careers. The name of the band will depart with them.

In a recent interview, Mr. Lussier explained that a single show could take eight hours with four hours spent setting up and packing, and another four hours standing up singing and playing.

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April Streeter shows off the electric guitar she played live for the first time. Photos by Nathalie Gagnon-Joseph

copyright the Chronicle February 25, 2015

by Nathalie Gagnon-Joseph

COVENTRY — April Streeter, 15, is no stranger to singing in public, but Saturday night’s LR Rocks showcase at Parker Pie Wings did include a first for her — a whirl on the electric guitar in front of a live audience.

“It’s kind of a rush,” she said. “It’s really fun to get up there. The energy is really great, especially in places like this.”

Parker Pie Wings had set up the concert venue on one side of its bar. The smaller space created a packed atmosphere for the 100 people in attendance.

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Working with what was two-thirds of his orchestra in April of 2011, Mr. Michelli leads a rehearsal at The First Universalist Parish of Derby Line. Following his lead, from left to right, are Chris Maginniss, Lisa C. Erwin, Paul Gavin, and Susan Brassett. Photo by Joseph Gresser

copyright the Chronicle January 7, 2015

by Joseph Gresser

DERBY LINE — About three and a half years ago, the Chronicle published an article about a man who had brought a few local musicians out of retirement and was working to create a local orchestra. In April of 2011, a few months after he started the Newport Area Community Orchestra, Ken Michelli, the orchestra’s founder, conductor, and engine, had found two clarinetists, two flute players, a violinist, and a cellist.

BARTON — As he hears a visitor pull into the dooryard of his camp, only a stone’s throw from Crystal Lake, Pete Cocoros pokes the bell of his trumpet out his door and blows a fanfare. It proves to be an apt prelude to a two-hour conversation about music and the adventurous path blazed by a horn.

Mr. Cocoros has performed for generals, played before thousands at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, entertained troops in Iceland, Morocco, and Greece, and set people to dancing all over the United States.

Most people who know him these days think of Pete Cocoros as the man whose playing of “Taps” brings tears to the eyes of those gathered to celebrate Veterans and Memorial days in Barton. Or they know him as the man whose photographs of local school band concerts appear in the Chronicle a few times a year.

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The cover for the Evansville Transit Authority’s new CD of original music is nothing if not homegrown and simple.

copyright the Chronicle May 28, 2014

by Bethany M. Dunbar

The estimated time of arrival for the new ETA compact disc of original music is: now.

The Evansville Transit Authority (ETA) band has been a local phenomenon for a dozen years and got its first paid gig when the boys were in high school. For the most part, they have played other people’s songs, from famous rock and country bands.

Their new self-titled CD is their own original music, and it’s good — good guitar playing, good singing, lyrics, and percussion.